Serie del Rey Set to Begin in Tijuana on Tuesday

Can Puebla Defeat Tijuana in the Serie del Rey

The Pericos de Puebla enter the 2017 Serie del Rey as slight underdogs to the Toros de Tijuana. Oddsmakers give the Pericos a 47% chance of repeating as champions of the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol.

Estadio Gasmart

The road to taking home the Copa Zaachila (the LMB Championship Trophy) begins in Tijuana. The Toros, with a league best regular season record of 76-34, get the first two games at home. The friendly confines of Estadio Gasmart, the home of the Toros, saw the Toros win 40 games and drop 16.  Games 3, 4 and 5 will be played on the Pericos home turf, Estadio de Beisbol Hermanos Serdan. Puebla hasn’t fared as well at home, going just 24-27 in Puebla. If necessary, games 6 and 7 will be played under the lights back in Tijuana.

Hermans Serdan

Winning at home for the Toros came easy this year but the Pericos were just 24-27 at home. One could say that Estadio de Beisbol Hermanos Serdan has been anything but friendly to Puebla. Despite rabid, raucous hometown fans the Pericos didn’t pitch well at home. Give edge here to Tijuana.

Tijuana pitchers led the league in ERA with a 3.52 mark. The Pericos on the other hand finished 11th in the league allowing 5.02 runs per game. This is the key for Puebla. If they allow that many runs a game, wins will be hard to come by.

Hitting wise though the Pericos have the edge. Their .305 batting average was second to Monterrey’s .307. Although the Toros managed to hit .281 that was only good for an 11th place finish.

Tijuana has the edge in pitching while Puebla gets the nod for hitting.

Edny Chavez

Edny Chavez led the Pericos in hitting, compiling a .343 average (6th in the league) with teammate Jesus Arredondo hitting .332 and Alberto Carreon following with a .317 average.

Cyle Hankerd hit .321 on the year with 17 home runs and 69 RBIs for Tijuana. Jose Guadalupe Chavez was the only other Toro with a batting average above .300.

The Toros pitching staff gave p just 971 hits in 975 ⅔ innings, striking out 753 batters and walking 278. This 3 to 1 strikeout to walk ratio may be the downfall to a team that struckout 675 times in 110 games.

Cyle Hankerd

Puebla pitchers on the other hand allowed 1144 hits in 965 ⅔ innings, giving up 85 home runs and had a strikeout to wall ratio of just under 2 to 1.

I’ve given you the facts. Now you can make up your own mind. But before you choose remember this. Experience counts. The Pericos were the 2016 Champions of the LMB. The Toros have been to the finals just once (2016 versus these same Pericos) since winning the LMB title as  the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos in1989.

Give the edge to the Pericos.

If that still doesn’t tell you who will win, I will say it again. The Pericos will win in 6 games.

I’m sticking my neck out but remember the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates, down 3 games to 1 they came back to beat the Baltimore Orioles 4 games to 3 and win the World Series.

The 2004 Boston Red Sox in the 2004 ALCS Championship fell behind the Yankees 3 games to none, swept the remaining four games and went on to sweep the St. Louis Cardinals 4 games to none to win the World Series.

Strange things happen we you actually have to play the games!

Tomateros de Culiacan Defeat Charros 3-1

TAKE COMMANDING 3 GAMES TO 1 LEAD

The Tomateros de Culiacan hold a 3 games to 1 lead in the Liga Mexicana del Pacifico Championship Series with their 3-1 victory over the Charros on Sunday.

The Charros had multiple opportunities to score as they loaded the bases 3 separate times during the game but were unable to capitalize. As a team, the Charros were 2 for 10 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 runners.

The Charros loaded the bases, with one out, in the top of the 1st on singles by Manny Rodriguez, Leo Heras and Marquez Smith. Japhet Amador then lofted a fly ball to left for the second out and Rodriguez was thrown out at home trying to score.

Culiacan took advantage of the Charros failure to score in their half of the 1st. Rico Noel bunted for a hit and went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Maxwell Leon. Noel stole third and scored when Eric
Farris launched a home run to left. Culiacan went up 2-0 after one inning.

The Tomateros added to their lead in the bottom of the 4th. Dave Sappelt drew a lead off walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Issmael Salas. Arturo Rodriguez grounded out to the pitcher as Sappelt took third. Sergio Gastelum walked and went to second on a wild pitch by Charros starter Orlando Lara. Ramiro Pena reached base safely on a fielding error by CJ Retherford as Sappelt scored. The lead was 3-0 Culiacan.

Jalisco mounted a threat in the top of the 9th. CJ Retherford walked with one out and moved to second on a wild pitch. Sebastien Valle grounded out to second to advance Retherford to third. Pinch hitter Jesus Cota singled to drive in Retherford. The Charros loaded the bases with two outs but Leo Heras lined out to second to end the game and the Tomateros took the 3-1 win.

One game remains to be played in Culiacan. Should the Tomateros win, they become the League Champions. If the Charros win, the series returns to Guadalajara for game 6 and, if necessary, game 7.